Chapter 106: Encountering Unspoken Rules

“Jia Xuan! I really adore you! Beautiful, this one, and that one, I want them all!” Du Jingxuan exclaimed excitedly.

Jia Xuan chuckled teasingly. “If only Yanyan were as easy to please as you. She just says no, no, no all the time.”

“You’re so mean!” Du Jingxuan laughed, playfully punching his shoulder.

*

Dong Yanyan lay on her desk, idly doodling on a piece of paper. Too much thinking exhausts the mind; sometimes you just have to zone out and rest, or else you’ll end up with a short circuit from all those circuit diagrams swirling in your head.

Director Tang strolled in from the front of the classroom and tapped her desk. Seeing it was him, Dong Yanyan quickly put down her pen and stood up, politely greeting, “Teacher.”

He patted her shoulder, indicating she should sit, then casually flipped open her notebook. After leafing through a few pages, he smiled and asked, “The final exam is coming up. Confident?”

“I’ll do my best. It should be fine,” she answered carefully.

Director Tang nodded. “Good. I admire your confidence. You’re a student with clear goals.”

Dong Yanyan didn’t recall ever appearing confident to him but nodded anyway and shamelessly replied, “Thank you for the compliment, Teacher.”

“Having goals is important, but when it comes to putting in the effort, will you be willing to give it your all?” he asked.

“Of course. I never believed there’s such a thing as a free lunch,” she smiled.

He smiled back. “Come by my office this afternoon.” Then he turned and left.

Dong Yanyan stood there, puzzled, unsure why he wanted to see her. But judging by his kindly expression, it couldn’t be anything bad—maybe even something good!

Song Mingcheng, seeing Director Tang leave, beckoned her over with a crooked finger. Since that night, he’d become more of a nagging presence around her.

“I think Old Tang has some ulterior motives towards you. Be careful,” he said lazily, legs propped on the desk and leaning back in his chair with a cocky grin.

“I don’t think so,” Dong Yanyan shrugged indifferently. “Please look at your teacher with the eyes of a normal student.”

“Teacher? I wouldn’t bet on that, classmate. You’re still too innocent,” Song Mingcheng laughed.

“Classmate, that’s just your overactive imagination,” she rolled her eyes and tugged the chair behind him. Song Mingcheng yelped, nearly toppling backward.

*

Dong Yanyan went downstairs, carrying her bowl to the washroom to clean it, sneaking a glance at her reflection in the mirror. After half a year of care and nourishment, her complexion was noticeably brighter and more radiant. It seemed that dietary supplements really did work.

Suddenly recalling Song Mingcheng’s words—honest folks shouldn't speak recklessly, because jinxes tend to come true—she decided to prepare for the worst. Besides, it was the end of the year, and she should show some filial respect to this tiger of a man. She resolved to visit the mall during lunch.

Since it wasn’t the weekend, the mall was relatively empty, and she wandered alone. She always felt shopping alone was silly—even the salespeople barely paid her any attention. Approaching the jewelry counter, she decided to pick out a tie clip. After a long time without finding one she liked, she noticed a nearby counter selling Zippo lighters. Her eyes lit up, and she asked the attendant to help her pick a nicely wrapped one. Spending a few hundred yuan on a lighter made her wince slightly. She realized that although she didn’t earn much, her spending habits were becoming more extravagant.

After purchasing her items, she hurried back. Near the escalator, a couple laughing and chatting pushed past her without a word. She stumbled and nearly fell.

“Can’t you watch where you’re going? Didn’t you see someone here?” she called after them angrily as she caught up on the escalator.

“Who’s talking to you—” The young man in front turned sharply, his anger fading into surprise as the three exchanged looks.

Dong Yanyan noticed the two were overly cozy, arms around each other. The difference in the softness of the girl’s hands and the boy’s was stark—no matter how she looked, she felt like an outsider here.

“Yanyan? It’s you! Hey! I was just looking for you!” Jia Xuan greeted awkwardly with a smile.

“Yeah, yeah, Yanyan, we came to buy you something. What a coincidence that you’re here too,” Du Jingxuan said as he stepped up, linking arms with her affectionately.

“What a coincidence indeed. Next time watch where you’re going, don’t just bump into people! It’s awkward enough to collide with strangers, let alone acquaintances,” Dong Yanyan said with a forced smile, rolling her eyes and pushing past them, running down the stairs.

Jia Xuan immediately gave chase, tugging at her arm, but Dong Yanyan was resolute—she ignored him completely, refusing to listen, and hailed a taxi at the door, driving away.

Du Jingxuan, wearing his little heels, hurried to the entrance, only to see Jia Xuan stomping his foot in frustration.

“She’s never been this harsh with me before. It’s all your fault! Why didn’t you explain things to her properly? Now I’m doomed—next in line for bad luck!” She pounded his shoulder with her fists again.

Jia Xuan shot her a sharp look. “Don’t listen to Old Six’s nonsense! Besides, today’s mess isn’t my fault—it’s yours! If you hadn’t worn such high heels, would I have had to help you down the stairs? If you wear heels again, I’ll break off your heel myself!”

Du Jingxuan’s fierce expression silenced Du Jingxuan, who followed him cautiously. “Actually, I think she’s mad because she cares about you. Right?”

“Of course she cares! The problem now is how I can avoid shooting myself in the foot every time I see her. I’m sick of these endless fights,” Jia Xuan muttered, tossing his hair and flagging down a cab.

*

With no afternoon classes, Dong Yanyan adjusted her mood and knocked on the third-floor office door. Inside, only Director Tang was present. Seeing her, he nodded and motioned her in.

She gently closed the door and stepped inside. Director Tang kindly invited her to sit opposite his desk, then pushed a pile of forms toward her.

“This is the Student Council’s work summary report for this semester. Take a look,” he said kindly.

Dong Yanyan skimmed through it. It was mainly reports from the Student Council cadres—what did that have to do with her? As she pondered, Director Tang asked, “Who is the current class Youth League Secretary?”

“Song Mingcheng,” she answered.

Director Tang nodded. “From what I know, he hasn’t done any substantial work these past six months.”

That was obvious. The Youth League Secretary position was largely nominal. For four years, Song Mingcheng only showed up for occasional class committee meetings; no specific tasks were assigned.

Dong Yanyan smiled politely but said nothing.

“If you were in that position, do you think you could perform better?” Director Tang continued.

She thought for a moment. “If I were in his place, I would try my best to cooperate with the teachers. Whether I’d be better, I can’t say for sure.”

Director Tang smiled slightly. “So you’re saying the teachers haven’t given you the chance to prove yourself?”

“Teacher, that’s a difficult question. I don’t think it’s that I haven’t been given opportunities; rather, there are many more outstanding students than me. Of course, I’m not belittling myself—I’m working hard to improve,” she replied carefully.

“I believe in your effort. I’ve already spoken with Teacher Chen. Song Mingcheng is now your class’s organization committee member; there’s no need for him to hold multiple posts. You will take over the Youth League Secretary position,” Director Tang said with a smile.

“Ah?” Dong Yanyan was surprised. Teacher Chen had assigned Song Mingcheng two roles because both were largely honorary; he didn’t think it necessary to have two different people. That was what Song Mingcheng had boasted about to her before. If Director Tang now took one of those roles away and gave it to her, Song Mingcheng and Teacher Chen would surely be displeased. Besides, such small class cadre appointments were usually decided by the homeroom teacher. Why was the labor director personally notifying her?

Seeing her confused expression, Director Tang smiled. “I want to recommend you for the Student Council. The basic requirement is to be a class cadre. You know that being Youth League Secretary and joining the Student Council will benefit your future party membership and employment. If you have the confidence, I will spare no effort in nurturing you. In this world, personal effort is important, but without support, no matter how hard you try, it might be all in vain.”

Dong Yanyan understood this well. When she first came back, she had similar thoughts, but now her sights were set on Beauty Yang and Teacher Guo. As for this gentleman—rumor had it, only money or beauty could win him over. It was time to test the truth of those rumors.

“So, Teacher is willing to be my patron?” she smiled innocently. “Thank you!”

“Yanyan, you’re very smart. I like girls like you with clear goals,” Director Tang said, reaching out to press his hand on hers, his fingers sliding faintly across the back of her hand.

Dong Yanyan looked up, puzzled, meeting his meaningful gaze. She never expected to encounter such an unspoken rule. Seeing it firsthand was truly a shocking experience. It seemed that after living a decade longer, she had really grown up.

Noticing her thoughtful silence, Director Tang placed his other hand on her shoulder.

Dong Yanyan’s eyes flickered. Suppressing the urge to curse, she quickly and decisively withdrew her hand and said sternly, “Teacher, you’ve mistaken me for someone else! I’m not the kind of person who would sacrifice everything for my future. If I ever gave you the wrong impression, I apologize.” With a scowl, she stood up.

Alright, she admitted, she was just a bit furious and needed to vent.